Researchers use the largest nationwide survey of LGBTQ persons of color to identify what contributes to better health outcomes among Black and Latinx LGBTQ youth

June is LGBTQ Pride Month, set aside to remember the 1969 Stonewall riots and to celebrate progress toward achieving equality and acceptance for LGBTQ people, including LGBTQ youth of color. But in their May article in the Journal of Adolescent Health, authors Heath and Keene noted that LGBTQ youth of color continue to face “poorer psychosocial health outcomes than their non-LGBTQ peers.” To address this inequity, Heath and Keene wanted to test if school enrollment and several specific types of community activities influence health, happiness, and LGBTQ community connectedness among Black and Latinx LGBTQ youth. Since most study samples available are made up of White participants, Heath and Keene used data from a study which was created to document and celebrate the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people of color: the Social Justice Sexuality (SJS) Project: 2010 National Survey, including Puerto Rico (ICPSR 34363). A non-probability-based survey of LGBTQ individuals conducted in 2010, the SJS Project continues to be one of the largest national surveys of Black, Latina/o, Asian and Pacific Islander, and multiracial lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Administered to over 5,000 individuals, the final sample includes respondents from all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico; in rural, suburban, and large urban areas; and from a variety of ages, racial/ethnic identities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. Its variables pertain to racial and sexual identity; spirituality and religion; mental and physical health; family formations and dynamics; and civic and community engagement. The Resource Center for Minority Data distributes both public and restricted versions of the data.

Heath and Keene used a sub-sample of 472 Black and Latinx adolescent and young adult SJS Project participants between the ages of 16 and 24, examining mean differences in study variables across intersectional racial and gender identity categories. Their analyses focused on how school enrollment, community activities, and religious attendance are related to psychosocial health. In general, they found that organized social activities for LGBTQ people and for LGBTQ people of color were associated with greater LGBTQ community connectedness and/or health, while frequent attendance at faith services was associated with greater happiness and health. However, school enrollment did not show a significant association with any outcomes. They also noted that “there is an urgent need for further studies with larger sample sizes of Black and Latinx transgender youth subgroups,” as they were found to have the lowest levels of happiness and health.